A Common Issue Leaders Face I once coached a CEO when one of their VPs interrupted to ask what colour the boss wanted the office painted. The CEO offered their opinion and then refocused on our conversation. I responded, “Do you really feel that picking out paint...
Coaching can be intimidating to both novice and experienced leaders. For the recently trained manager, there is pressure to provide good coaching to their team, but uncertainty and fear about how to do it correctly. The truth is that bad coaching is better than no...
The goal of coaching is to motivate others and expand their thinking and skills. While feedback is a corrective exercise, coaching is a tool focused on growth and development. I liken the act of coaching to stretching and shooting an elastic band. The psychological...
When Coaching Works Best Coaching works best when you are confident that your direct report has the answer but lacks the clarity and confidence to act on their own. In this relationship, you can boost their ability to make these calls independently by establishing...
Coaching Versus Consulting Coaching is an overused term in business. Whenever a team member struggles to keep up or presents in a way that is frustrating to others, the advice is, “They just need some coaching.” In practice, coaching occurs on a spectrum between...
Unfair Leadership is Fair Leadership Not all talent will contribute equally or consistently to the group’s objectives. We all experience periods of good and poor health, and it is important to provide space and compassion for these occasional times of life. It...
How to Navigate Handoffs for Full Team Performance I am not a huge sportsperson. But I love the Olympic games. I am one of those people who will wake up at 2 am just to watch the events live. My favourite summer sport is the 4-person, 100-meter relay. For those of...
How to Embrace Innovation and New Ideas Nothing shuts down a brainstorming session faster than the statement “That’s a stupid idea.” When I was a new leader, I thought it was my role to protect my boss from all his crazy ideas. In my mind, I was doing great. I was...
How to Balance Your Leadership for Full Impact Every leader has a dominant approach to tackling problems, influencing others, and presenting ideas. In general, there are 4 styles that you can play at any given time: Cheerleader —This style is focused on providing...
How to Give Space Without Micromanaging Not all tasks can be completed in a way that allows for ultimate individual creativity and freedom. Many external factors at play define how a task is to be performed: Policies Industry regulations Standard operating procedures...
I once coached a CEO when one of their VPs interrupted to ask what colour the boss wanted the office painted.
The CEO offered their opinion and then refocused on our conversation. I responded, “Do you really feel that picking out paint colours is a wise use of your mental energy as CEO?” Their counter was, “I don’t stop to think about it much. If someone asks me for my opinion, then I give it to them.”
Oh, the double-edged sword of leadership. Senior leaders must become exceptionally good at making decisions with limited data and be comfortable just making the call. Overusing this style can create a check-in culture where the team becomes overly reliant on the boss’s opinion and hesitates to move without consultation.
I once coached a CEO when one of their VPs interrupted to ask what colour the boss wanted the office painted. The CEO offered their opinion and then refocused on our conversation. I responded, “Do you really feel that picking out paint colours is a wise use of your mental energy as CEO?” Their counter was, “I don’t stop to think about it much. If someone asks me for my opinion, then I give it to them.” Oh, the double-edged sword of leadership. Senior leaders must become exceptionally good at making decisions with limited data and be comfortable just making the call. Overusing this style can create a check-in culture where the team becomes overly reliant on the boss’s opinion and hesitates to move without consultation.
